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Re: A List of the Many Political Parties

Guess who:

"On the contrary," he said, "you have not controlled it. That is what has brought you here. You are here because you have failed in humility, in self-discipline. You would not make the act of submission which is the price of sanity. You preferred to be a lunatic, a minority of one. Only the disciplined mind can see reality, Winston. You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. You also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes; only in the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party. That is the fact that you have got to relearn, Winston. It needs an act of self-destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane."

Re: A List of the Many Political Parties

Originally Posted by Joby

While you all are correct on the fact that it is near impossible for a third party to win on the national level, you guys seem to miss the point that an independent can change history. Look at Ross Perot in '92, without whom Clinton may not have been elected President. Or Nader in 2000, who took 3% of the Florida vote when Gore was 300 votes short.

Anyway, what's up with this Unity08? Any members?

You failed to mention the most notable example of the success of a third party. The Prohibition Party touted only two issues: Women suffrage and prohibition. Losingcandidates gave credit to the Prohibition Party for causing them to lose. This meant they had to shut these guys up. Both major parties began agreeing on these two issues to reduce the impact of a third party candidate. Women still have the right to vote. Prohibition of alcohol was the law of the land for almost 20 years.

Ross Perot was an independent candidate rather than a third party candidate but many believe he was responsible for George H Bush's defeat in 1992. I think the Republican Party has already experienced influence from the Libertarian Party on issues such as taxes, gay marriage and marijuana laws. The Libertarian party was discussing gay marriage and legalizing marijuana a long time before states started putting it on the ballot.

Third parties aren't intended to get candidates elected. They are intended to propurt a cause. A small percentage of voters feel that their vote doesn't count. They can't at least vote for an ideal that they believe in by voting for a third party candidate. If an issue is important enough to enough people, mainstream parties will be forced to address the issue.